Published on 12, July, 2020
I am learning both the Guitar and Violin. I started with the Guitar first and play the chords with a pick. More recently I started to read music and learn the guitar fingerstyle.
In the past two weeks I have started to learn the Violin. However, I have to wear ear plugs because of it is so loud and starts sensory problems.
Does anyone else do something similar?
In my yoof I was heavily into things like Dire Straits and I love the electric guitar and it's versatility.
I have a nice Fender Stratocaster Plus in lipstick red that I picked up second hand from a guy near Farnham who was massively into Hank Marvin. He'd bought one of the Fender Custom Shop Hank Marvin Signature Stratocasters and decided to get rid of the Strat+ because he wasn't using anymore - it wasn't "Hank" enough :-). I also have a small Vox VT series amp.
I find I can get a little way into playing but then struggle to maintain the consistent practice that I would need to progress. In some respects I think the neck on the Strat+ is a bit too big for me, so I've wondered about starting with something smaller, a mandolin or banjo maybe, that might be more within my initial hand-size range, until I built up the dexterity and strength in my hands a bit. The problem with those being acoustic is that they're load so not really beginner practice friendly to our neighbours! The great thing about the electric guitar is that it's perfectly loud enough for practice without the amp but you have the facilities of the amp for when you want them. I made the mistake ages ago of buying a steel string acoustic thinking that might be better for non-amp practice, but boy are they loud!
The other instrument that I really like is the pedal steel guitar, but I understand with all the levers and pedals they're really hard to play! I wonder though if using a steel would get around my right hand size/dexterity issues.